The invention relates to a winding device for the loss-free winding of a continuous thread, especially a thread composed of synthetic fibers, onto at least one spool tube releasably clamped on a rotatably mounted chucking spindle.
Such a winding device is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,476 (DE-PS No. 24 55 116). The apparatus of this patent comprises at least one turnably borne chuck, i.e. a chucking spindle, containing circumferentially distributed clamping elements which are movable in a cage for the clamping and releasing of at least one spool tube, these clamping elements being radially movable relative to the cage. This apparatus further includes spacing means to fix the positions of the spool tubes as well as thread catching and thread holding elements for catching and securing a thread onto each spool at the beginning of the thread transfer in the winding process.
In this known apparatus, the spacing means have been lug or cam-like projections which extend in axial direction on one facing end of each spool tube, while a thread catching and thread holding element is formed in this same facing end in the form of a thread catching notch at a position which is angularly offset with reference to the spacing projection. With this known apparatus, it is a disadvantage that special spool tubes must be used, particularly those tubes which are relatively fragile due to their spacing projections so as to be easily damaged during transport and handling of the spools. Also, as one-way tubes or sleeves required to face in the correct direction, these non-standard tubes require special handling and are too expensive for many yarn producers and cause their products to be less competitive.
The following patents offer special thread catching and holding means as part of the chucking spindle: U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,038 (DE OS No. 22 48 875); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,711 (DE OS No. 27 47 771). With these known thread catching and holding means for securing the thread at the beginning of the winding, e.g. in the thread transfer from a wound spool to an empty spool, the thread holding gap remains open during the axial draw-off of the wound spool tube but is closed during winding by an element having a round or polygonal cross section extending in the form of a ring around one end of the spindle in order to exert a pressure on the thread perpendicularly or transversely to its running direction. Such apparatus cannot be readily adapted to the loading of more than one spool tube onto a chucking spindle.